Cascades Park is not your typical neighborhood patch of Earth; yes it has a baseball diamond &…read moreshelter house, but if offers so much more. In very congested surroundings, this cute little park offers an educational experience as well as pleasurable. Here you will find tree plaques throughout the trail that inform you about the local species. There is also a number of exercise stations, generous playground, a small fraction of ledges hugging a tiny stream and an adorable butterfly garden! With two trails to choose from, you think it would be impossible to get lost. However, the old carved map is slightly misleading. Whichever trail you decide to explore you'll begin at the same starting point ;straight ahead you'll see a tiny wooden bridge- this path leads you wandering around...you cannot distinct between path & surroundings as nothing is marked. If you avoid this & veer to the right, one trail loops around the park while the other eventually takes you through a series of backyards & a golf course. Each trail is made up of twisting roots & tiny gravel so if you have a decent stroller (avoid the trail with a street name & take the loop only) you should be able to enjoy the park without any hiccups.

Literally the biggest playground slides I've ever seen. My 4 year old looooves this place, and…read morethere's also a small play area good for toddlers. We love the wooded walking trail, too.

If it's a nice day and you (or your kids) need to burn some energy, this is the place for you! I…read morehad never been here before, but my sister asked me if I wanted to go and take my kids for some fun. The entrance comes up quickly when you're driving, so make sure you don't miss it! We immediately went to the park, and my kids had an absolute blast. They're 3 and 1, but I saw plenty of older kids having fun as well. We checked out the lake, which was super pretty (watch out for goose poop!). I noticed some people fishing, and it looked like there were canoes around too! We then decided to have some lunch. There are plenty of picnic tables, so finding a spot to sit is not a problem. We ended the visit with one more trip to the park and then left. My kids were EXHAUSTED afterward, and I always appreciate a place that can tire them out. I'd like to visit again on a solo trip and walk a few miles around the lake next time!

Recently came here to walk dogs with out of state colleagues. This place exceeded my expectations…read morewhen it came to a beautiful walk. There's a nearby park that has alot of activities for kids, decent restrooms and even canoe rentals. We hiked the entire trail around the pond and it was absolutely beautiful and peaceful. It can be really muddy depending on when you go. Structures are in solid standing. Trail features small slopes so it's not completely flat. Great place to visit.

We love going out in nature but this took it over the top . It went over lots of different trails…read morewas like a whole different world glad i got off my electronics today

This is a great hiking trail taking you deep into the National Park. My only issue is that this…read moreplace needs trail markers that tell you how long the loop is! One wrong turn and your short hike turns into a day hike.

Brandywine Falls located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is one of my favorite places to hike…read more The Brandywine Falls area is easy to access, the main parking lot is located on Brandywine Road and is next to the falls themselves. There is a bathroom and water fountain here, so it is a nice stop on the bike and hike trail which passes by the falls. The falls is the tallest, one of the largest and most visited falls in Ohio, it is also one of the highlights of the National Park. The park has created a boardwalk that allows you to go into the gorge and get some great views of the falls. The boardwalk does have some steep stairs and you should be careful on your way down and back up. The falls is very picturesque and will give you different looks depending on the amount of water in the stream, the time of the year and the time of day. While the falls are great I really enjoy the hikes that are available in connection with the falls. The hikes take you down the gorge and there is a bridge that allows you to cross the stream and come back up the other side. The South side hike is a bit away from the stream and is mainly through the woods on hard dirt trails; there is a bit of ups and downs including some stairs and stream crossings on bridges. The North side trail is along the river and gorge and is steeper and can be a bit of a scramble. The total loop is about 1 1/2 miles with a nice bit of vertical for its length. You can also do longer hikes to the Stanford House or the Boston Mills visitor center. One of the things I enjoy is seeing the falls and the gorge in different seasons. During the summer the lot is usually full during most of the day, the gorge offers a rather cool and shady area when the day is hot. Fall has the changing leaves and cooler temperatures. Winter creates a whole different look. Finally, spring gives you the rushing stream and the transition from winter to summer. If you haven't been to Brandywine Falls you need to plan a visit, if you haven't been there recently it is well worth a return visit.

I love visiting this part of the CVNP. The parking lot here is usually pretty full, but I can…read moreusually find a place to park. There are bathrooms located here as well. This waterfall is impressive for being in Ohio and it attracts many people to it. If you are able to do stairs, I recommend checking it out. It's a short walk from the parking lot. The entrance is easily seen from the parking lot. The ramp/stairs (wood) can be slippery due to the weather, so be careful. The rock formation hangs slightly over as well. You are also able to hike the border too. It's a very nice area. I definitely recommend checking it out just be mindful and keep it clean. Respect the area.

During our recent visit to Cuyahoga Falls National Park my wife and I happened upon this shelter…read moreand lake while searching for the Ledges Trailhead. The well maintained shelter and bath house were constructed in the 1930's by the local CCC Corp. The lake was also developed at that time to offer the local population an accessible recreational area during the Great Depression. Currently, the lake is stocked with several local species of catfish, blue gill and bass. What a peaceful, zen atmosphere! Fall is definitely the time of year to visit with the display of Nature's Colors.

The Kendall Lake and Shelter is a peaceful space in the Cuyahoga Valley National Forest. The…read morecurrent shelter houses well-maintained bathrooms and a covered area of picnic tables. The shelter was originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1935 as a bathhouse for the lake that was also created by the Corp. The lake is stocked with bass, bluegill, and channel catfish. There is a large paved parking area.

This free admission park consists of a large pond (or small lake?) and a couple smaller ones in a…read moreheavily wooded very tranquil wetland area , , some hiking trails, an archery range, primitive restrooms, a large covered picnic shelter. Large pond is suitable for fishing from a rowboat or canoe. As of Aug 2015 most of the hiking trails are "closed for maintenance." Lots of Canada Geese around who have left evidence of their presence all around the edges of the lake. This is a very quiet , serene place. If you are a birdwatcher or like fishing this may be very interesting for you. The picnic area has a nice view of the pond, which probably looks pretty eery on a misty morning.. Be sure to check out the State Nature Preserve next door (parking lot anf access from Mill road) which has a number of hiking trails.

Well maintained. Has a rustic, unpaved trail around the lake. We usually go for the bow & arrow…read morerange.

A great place to hike! Lovely, paved trail that does not seem to attract cyclists, a plus in…read moresummertime if you have a dog or small children. Very convenient to Aurora.

It's a cute little park I recently came by and visited in the Hudson area. Plenty of people were…read morehere on Thanksgiving day too. Restrooms thankfully were not closed for the holiday either but those restrooms were clean and well taken care of. The trail despite it being a bit of a mushy day, it' fairly maintained though it could be right going past people on the little boardwalk on half of the trail. There's plenty of wildlife you'll encounter as well. Easy access to the streets as well upon leaving. Cute overlook of the pond too before and after you start the trail.

Nice park and a pleasant well kept trail for walking, but beware of ticks - this park is absolutely…read moreinfested! We took our dog on a walk here and found numerous ticks on him and ourselves by the end of the trail. Unfortunately, despite him being on flea/tick meds and having been given the Lyme vaccine for multiple years, we found out this week that he tested positive for Lyme disease and have a strong suspicion that he was exposed from the ticks at this park. Obviously ticks are very frequent at a lot of parks, but I've never seen so many in one place as we did here. They were literally leaping all over us and our dog from the tall grass, so consider avoiding the grassy area altogether and stick to the woods. If you choose to walk here, I definitely recommend checking yourself and your pets for ticks before heading home.

Really beautiful trail! So happy they had CVNP open during the government shut down. The shelter…read morehouse bathroom was so clean too! We explored the loop & few off shoots. Fall color was beautiful

We had heard a lot about the Ledges Trail leading up to our visit, so we were very much looking…read moreforward to it. It delivered! As promised by the name, there are a number of ledges that create some recesses, caves, balancing rocks, and a great overlook area - though it can be hard to see through the tree canopy if the leaves are still up. We saw some fun plant life that was neat to see too.

Well maintained. Very nice park. Lots of trails in the shade for the sunny days, with a lake and…read morea fenced in dog areas.

Very nice park, our huskies loved the park, and met so Many…read morepeople who just fell in love with them, our little man Milo was crying a lot because Snow was getting all the attention but all and all we had an awesome experience, will definitely be returning. The lake was beautiful, and wow the pier was just awesome i have never seen such beauty. It was very nice seeing all the amazing dogs running around and playing. The walking paths around the entire lake was very well kept my sister was in shock of how beautiful it was. We had to go to the small dog area since Milo is small and was scared or everything and crying, while snow was just happy to be around all the dogs and sniff there butts. But after a while Milo got comfortable and was able to return with the big dogs and he was happy. Anyway great experience; we loved it.